Toilet Bowl and Cover Assembly

ABSTRACT

A toilet bowl and cover assembly includes a toilet bowl and a cover. The toilet bowl has an upper seat portion, a lower discharge portion, a top opening formed on the upper seat portion, a bottom drainage opening formed on the lower discharge portion. The upper seat portion has a curved cross-sectional shape and a first offset surface formed on a front side of the upper seat portion. The cover includes a seat panel having a through cover opening. The seat panel has an exterior contour substantially corresponding to that of the curved cross-sectional shape of the upper seat portion of the toilet bowl, and a second offset surface formed on a front side of the cover panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a toilet bowl, and more particularly to a toilet bowl and cover assembly which are optimally designed to minimize unwanted substances from splashing on users' pants or underwear.

Description of Related Arts

A conventional toilet bowl assembly usually comprises a toilet bowl having a top bowl opening and a bottom drainage opening, and a bowl cavity formed between the top bowl opening and the bottom drainage opening, a bowl cover pivotally mounted on the toilet bowl, and a water reservoir mounted on the toilet bowl to provide a certain amount of water for flushing the toilet bowl.

Conventionally, a cross sectional diameter of the toilet bowl gradually decreases from the top bowl opening to the bottom drainage opening. This construction ensures that proper siphon effect may take place in the toilet bowl when sufficient amount of water is provided in the bowl cavity. On the other hand, the bowl cover may be constructed to have a ring-shaped cross section in which a central opening is formed to substantially align with the top bowl opening of the toilet bowl when the bowl cover is pivotally moved to rest on the toilet bowl.

Very often, both the toilet bowl and the bowl cover have a substantially elliptical or circular cross-sectional shape when viewed from the top. As a result, when a user, especially a male user, sits on the bowl cover, parts of his pants or even his underwear may come into contact with a front portion of the bowl cover or the toilet bowl. Since unwanted substances, such as urine residuals, may accidentally remain in the front portion of the bowl cover or the toilet bowl, the user's pant or underwear may come into contact with the unwanted substances.

As a result, there is a need to develop a toilet bowl and cover assembly which are capable of minimizing unwanted substances from splashing or touching on users' pants or underwear.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Certain variations of the present invention provide a toilet bowl and cover assembly which are optimally designed to minimize unwanted substances from splashing or touching on users' pants or underwear.

In one aspect of the present invention, it provides a toilet bowl and cover assembly, comprising:

a toilet bowl having an upper seat portion, a lower discharge portion, a top opening formed on the upper seat portion, a bottom drainage opening formed on the lower discharge portion for connecting to a drainage pipe, the upper seat portion having a curved cross-sectional shape and a first offset surface formed on a front side of the upper seat portion, the first offset surface being apart from a circumferential edge of the top opening by a first predetermined perpendicular distance; and

a cover which comprises a seat panel pivotally connected to the toilet bowl, the seat panel having a through cover opening aligned with the top opening of the toilet bowl when the seat panel is pivotally moved to overlap on the toilet bowl, the seat panel having an exterior contour substantially corresponding to that of the curved cross-sectional shape of the upper seat portion of the toilet bowl, and a second offset surface formed on a front side of the cover panel, the second offset surface being apart from a circumferential edge of the through cover opening by a second predetermined perpendicular distance.

This summary presented above is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toilet bowl and cover assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the toilet bowl and cover assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a toilet bowl according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of a cover according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the toilet bowl and cover assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is the preferred mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in any limiting sense. It is presented for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, a toilet bowl and cover assembly according a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Broadly, the toilet bowl and cover assembly may comprise a toilet bowl 10 and a cover 20.

The toilet bowl 10 may have an upper seat portion 11, a lower discharge portion 12, a top opening 13 formed on the upper seat portion 11, a bottom drainage opening 14 formed on the lower discharge portion 12 for connecting to an external drainage pipe. The upper seat portion 11 may have a curved cross-sectional shape and a first offset surface 111 formed on a front side 112 of the upper seat portion 11. The first offset surface 111 may be provided apart from a circumferential edge 131 of the top opening 13 by a first predetermined perpendicular distance d1.

The cover 20 may comprise a seat panel 21 pivotally connected to the toilet bowl 10. The seat panel 21 may have a through cover opening 211 aligned with the top opening 13 of the toilet bowl 10 when the seat panel 21 is pivotally moved to overlap on the toilet bowl 10. On the other hand, the seat panel 21 may have an exterior contour substantially corresponding to that of the curved cross-sectional shape of the upper seat portion 11 of the toilet bowl 10, and a second offset surface 212 formed on a front side 213 of the cover panel 21. The second offset surface 212 may be provided apart from a circumferential edge 214 of the through cover opening 211 by a second predetermined perpendicular distance d2.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper seat portion 11 of the toilet bowl 10 may have a top rim 113 formed as a boundary of the top opening 13. The seat panel 21 of the cover 20 may be pivotally moved to overlap on the top rim 113.

The top rim 113 may have a generally elliptical cross-sectional shape when viewed from the top. More specifically, the top rim 113 may have a main rim section 1131 and a front rim section 1132. The top rim 113 may have substantially uniform thickness at the main rim section 1131. A thickness of the main rim section 1131 may be slightly larger than that of the front rim section 1132. The front rim section 1132 may be formed at or near the front side 112 of the upper seat portion 11. In this preferred embodiment, the first offset surface 111 of the upper seat portion 11 may be formed on the front rim section 1132, in which a thickness of the front rim section 1132 may be thinner than that of the main rim section 1131 and may be substantially equal to the first predetermined perpendicular distance d1.

The first offset surface 111 of the upper seat portion 11 may form as a flat surface on the front side 112 of the upper seat portion 11. However, it is worth mentioning that the first offset surface 111 may have many other contours apart from being flat. For example, the first offset surface 111 may be slightly curved or may have other surface contours.

A preferred distance for the first predetermined perpendicular distance d1 may be approximately 1 mm to approximately 35 mm. Other range may also be possible.

The seat panel 21 of the cover 20 may have an external cross-sectional shape which is substantially similar to that of the top rim 113 of the upper seat portion 11 of the toilet bowl 10. Thus, the seat panel 21 may have a generally elliptical cross-sectional shape when viewed from the top. The seat panel 21 may have a main seat section 215 and a front seat section 216. The main seat section 215 may have a substantially similar exterior cross-sectional shape to that of the main rim section 1131 of the top rim 113. The front seat section 216 may have a substantially similar exterior cross-sectional shape to that of the front rim section 1132 of the top rim 113. The second offset surface 212 may be formed on the front seat section 216 of the seat panel 21.

The seat panel 21 may have substantially uniform thickness at the main seat section 215. A thickness of the main seat section 215 may be slightly larger than that of the front seat section 216. The front seat section 216 may be formed at or near the front side 213 of the seat panel 21. In this preferred embodiment, the second offset surface 212 of the seat panel 21 may be formed on the front seat section 216, in which a thickness of the front seat section 216 may be thinner than that of the main seat section 215 and may be substantially equal to the second predetermined perpendicular distance d2.

The second offset surface 212 of the seat panel 21 may form as a flat surface at the front side 213 of the seat panel 21. However, it is also worth mentioning that the second offset surface 212 may also have many other contours apart from being flat. For example, the second offset surface 212 may be slightly curved or may have other surface contours similar to the first offset surface 111.

Thus, a preferred distance for the second predetermined perpendicular distance d2 may also be approximately 1 mm to approximately 35 mm.

The operation of the present invention is as follows: the cover 20 may be pivotally moved to overlap on the top rim 13 of the toilet bowl 10. When the cover 20 has overlapped on the top rim 13, a user may seat on the cover panel 21 and start using the toilet bowl 10. At the same time, however, the user's pants or underwear may be kept at a distance from the first offset surface 111 and the second offset surface 212 so as to minimize the chance that the user's pants or underwear may come into contact with unwanted substances, such as urine residuals, as shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

It is worth mentioning that by reducing the distance between the toilet bowl 10 and cover 20 the user's pants or underwear, the present invention effectively minimizes the chance that the unwanted substances may come into contact with the user's pant or underwear. Thus, the present invention represents maximal hygienic modifications of conventional toilet bowls.

The toilet bowl and cover assembly may further comprise a water reservoir 30 provided on top of a rear portion of the toilet bowl 10 for storing a predetermined amount of water. The water may be guided to flow into the bowl cavity 101 of the toilet bowl 10 for flushing.

The present invention, while illustrated and described in terms of a preferred embodiment and several alternatives, is not limited to the particular description contained in this specification. Additional alternative or equivalent components could also be used to practice the present invention. 

1. A toilet bowl and cover assembly, comprising: a toilet bowl having an upper seat portion, a lower discharge portion, a top opening formed on said upper seat portion, a bottom drainage opening formed on said lower discharge portion for connecting to a drainage pipe, said upper seat portion having a curved cross-sectional shape and a first offset surface formed on a front side of said upper seat portion, said first offset surface being apart from a circumferential edge of said top opening by a first predetermined perpendicular distance, which is 1 mm to 35 mm, said upper seat portion of said toilet bowl has a top rim formed as a boundary of said top opening, said top rim having a main rim section and a front rim section, said top rim having a uniform thickness at said main rim section, said thickness of said main rim section being larger than that of said front rim section; and a cover which comprises a seat panel pivotally connected to said toilet bowl, said seat panel having a through cover opening aligned with said top opening of said toilet bowl when said seat panel is pivotally moved to overlap on said toilet bowl, said seat panel having an exterior contour corresponding to that of said curved cross-sectional shape of said upper seat portion of said toilet bowl, and a second offset surface formed on a front side of said cover panel, said second offset surface being apart from a circumferential edge of said through cover opening by a second predetermined perpendicular distance, which is 1 mm to 35 mm. 2-3. (canceled)
 4. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 1, wherein said front rim section is formed adjacent to said first offset surface of said upper seat portion, in which a thickness of said front rim section is thinner than that of said main rim section and equal to said first predetermined perpendicular distance.
 5. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 4, wherein said first offset surface of said upper seat portion forms as a flat surface at said front side of said upper seat portion.
 6. (canceled)
 7. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 5, wherein said seat panel of said cover has an external cross-sectional shape which is similar to that of said top rim of said upper seat portion of said toilet bowl.
 8. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 1, wherein said seat panel has a main seat section and a front seat section, said main seat section having an identical exterior cross-sectional shape to that of said main rim section of said top rim so that said second offset surface is formed adjacent to said front seat section of said seat panel.
 9. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 7, wherein said seat panel has a main seat section and a front seat section, said main seat section having an identical exterior cross-sectional shape to that of said main rim section of said top rim so that said second offset surface is formed adjacent to said front seat section of said seat panel
 10. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 8, wherein said seat panel has a uniform thickness at said main seat section, a thickness of said main seat section being slightly larger than that of said front seat section, a thickness of said front seat section being equal to said second predetermined perpendicular distance.
 11. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 9, wherein said seat panel has a uniform thickness at said main seat section, a thickness of said main seat section being slightly larger than that of said front seat section, a thickness of said front seat section being equal to said second predetermined perpendicular distance.
 12. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 10, wherein said second offset surface of said seat panel forms as a flat surface at a front side of said seat panel.
 13. The toilet bowl and cover assembly, as recited in claim 11, wherein said second offset surface of said seat panel forms as a flat surface at a front side of said seat panel. 14-15. (canceled) 